For my latest video, I noticed I had gradually been collecting random footage of “micro-wildlife” I have come across while working in my new garden here in Windhoek. One of the creatures I had been continually running across is the millipede. These guys are everywhere, coiled up under the soil, perhaps waiting for cool weather or rainy season. They feed on decaying plant matter, so I guess they spend most of their time underground. Apparently they are born with three pairs of legs, but every time they molt they add more – and can grow up to 8 inches long.
Anyway, I thought it would be fun to try and get them very close up, to show the detail of these fascinating (ick) creatures. But no matter which camera I used, it would get blurry once I got close up like I wanted. So I attached a loupe to a Flip camera. which ended up working pretty well. A loupe is one of those handle-less magnifying lenses used by jewelers for example.
It would have been better if I had used the Flip’s zoom (2X) as well, and depth of field was a bit of a problem (keeping all parts of the critter in focus simultaneously) but here is the result. The thumbnail below is a standard Flip camera view, and you can see the blurring. Watch the video to see the loupe view.
I’d like to try this as a time lapse, by using a loupe in conjunction with the iPad, but I haven’t found the right subject. We have some cactus flowers and succulent flowers that open and close every day, but again, depth of field is a problem.
